Radiator



RADIATOR Filed Dec. 29, 1323 Patented Feb. 2', 192e.

UNITED STATES l 1,571,730 -m l im'ilazisl'i OFFICE.

' A: BJTHUR IB. MODINE, RACINE, WISCN-SIN.

RADIATOR.

Application filed December 29., 1923. Serial No. 683,402.

To all whom t may concern: l.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR B. MoDINE,a citizen of the United States, residing at Ra- `cine, in the. county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Radiators, of which i the following is a description.

My invention'belongs to that general class 'of devices known as radiators and more particularly to an improved cooling system and radiator, the same being particularly adapted for use on automobiles and like' vehicles. i

l The invention has among its objects the production of a device of the kind described,

which is simple,eflicient, reliable, compact.,` 'and a satisfactory cooling system and radiator for use wherever found applicable.

More particularly it has as an object the"` `production lof a radiator for use on automobilesand like vehicles for cooling an internal combustion engine and which` will permit the engine to berun at a temperaturey to maintain a highV efficiency in the winter or in cool weather as well as in warm weather. It also has as an object the production of a radiator which will conserve the anti-:freeze mixtures generally employed 'in cold weather and prevent their dissipation orfloss byevaporation.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein lshown and described will be obvious to those skilled ,in the'yart from the disclosures herein given.

To this end my invention consists inthe novel construction, arrangement and combination ofparts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, whereinlike` reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts: l

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of lmy improved device applied to an internal combustion en ine; Y v ig. 2 is a topl elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the radiator;

Fig. i is asectionalview takensubstan- 4 tially on line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and` Fig. 5 isa View in elevation of one type of shutter that may be employed.

In the cooling` systemsfemployed on automobiles or the like, or in connection with internal combustion engines,` the system ismade adapted for wide ranges of temperature, and while the engine may operate at a temperature to give high eiiciency in warm' weather, the same does not give the same Aeiiciency in cold weather unless the radiator is vmore or less covered, thereby reducing the cooling effective area. Generally in the Winter it is customary for the operator to replace the usual cooling medium, such as water with a non-freezing solution, as for example a mixture, of `water and`alcohol or v.

the equivalent. Obviously, when alcohol is added, the boiling point is lowered, and frequently they add glycerine to the. mixture to raise the boiling point. The radiator is usually more or less covered in the winter, and it is not uncommon for the mixture to boil or vreach a fairlyhigh temperature,

lbefore partially uncovering, Iin which case the efficiency of the anti-freeze mixture is affected by .the evaporation of the alcohol. The result is that the driver in endeavoring to save alcohol from evaporating and to maintain a 'mixture of suliicient strength to prevent freezing, will apply his covering v to the radiator lin suchra manner as to operatel theengine at a lower temperature,

lthereby decreasing theetticiency of the engine. lVith the present invention or system, the radiator is so designed that 4the system and radiator operate in the summer -or during warm weather substantiallyV in In thc winter, however, the

scribed, to provide'a control for the temperature whereby'the engine is prevented from l becoming too hot or the cooling medium being evaporated at a rate greater than the condenser can take care of the same.

Referring to thedrawings, 1, 2 and Srep-I i resent what .maybe termed water tanks,

which are connected by the cores` 4 and 5. The `tanks may beof the` desired size and shape, as may also the cores, and yit may be mentioned that the cores may be of the tubular type or cellular type `or any equivalent construction. As illustrated, 6 represents an internal combustion engine, a com.- pressor or any other apparatus which is to ioo be cooled, 7 representing one of the conduitsl from tank 1, 8 a pump arranged Where dethis case Where a fan or circulator 12 is ern-- .ployed. The conduit 9 is shown connected with the outlet 10 on the tank 2, it being une derstood that such details of construction -may be varied as desired. I have shown the upper tank provided with the usual filling spout 14, The installation shown -is more particularly that employed on an automobile for coolinga gas engine. I have shown the lower core 4 provided with a shutter means so that when desired this portion of the radiator may be partially or entirely covered. hile any type of shutter may be used, that shovvn is comparatively simple and satisfactory.

Referring particularly to Figs. 4 and 5, 15 and 16 represent shutters provided With the openings 17 and 18. When either one of the shutters is moved relative to the other,

.the openings are brought into registry so as to-provide an opening of the desired size t-hrough -Which air may pass so as to pass through core 4. The shutter may be controlledy oroperated manually or automatically, either by thermostatic means or pres- 1 sure controlled means, but the manual means f through the pump to the engine.

being most simple, I have not shown in detail the automatic mechanism.

The upper tank 2 may be provided with the usual overflow pipe 19, and it may be also provided With a pressure relief device 20 to prevent the pressure'in the system from rising above a predetermined degree. The conduits 11 are also shown provided with valves 21, Which may be of any suitable type.

I have also shown a valve 22 for controlling the flow of the medium through pipe 9'.

' Inv describing the operation of.the device, it may be mentioned that in the summer time the shutters may be and are generally omitted,`or at least kept open. Valves 2 1 and 22 are so operated that the circulation from the Water jacket lof the engine or the like is through pipe 9 into the tank 2 and thence through the radiator and pipe Z back In this case, the system is filled up with Water or the like, filling the cores and substantially all of thetanks. The circulation is through the radiator substantially in a'normalmanner as is the case in any radiator. As the heated medium passes through the radiator, its heat is dissipated and taken up by the air drawn through the radiator by the fan 12 or the equivalent. In the Winter time or in cold Wea-ther, valve 22 is closed and Valve 21 opened and the Water level in the system brought substantially to the height of the tank 3 without the medium being in the core the core 5 Ltr/mso 5 or tank 2. Theshutters are shut so as to partially or entirely shut off the air going 'through the core 4. When the engine isoperated, it -quickly'heats up the fiuid in 'the system, thereby permitting the engine to' quickly heat up to its vgreatest efficiency and to continue operating' at high efficiency. Any vapors driven off from the tank 3 and core 4, owing to the high temperature, will pass up into the `core -5 and to tank 2. However, with the air, particularly the cold air of Winter, passing through the core v5, this -causes an immediate condensation of the vapors in amount. It is obvious that there will be no lloss of alcohol or anti-freeze solution in case the temperature of the cooling medium reachesor passesfthe boiling point as the same will be immediately lre-condensed and returned to the system without loss. -The pressure referred to may be utilized to control the shutter, but as before mentioned, I have not considered it necessary to illustrate this herein. l

The system illustrated has many advantages, the most important being the increased efficiency of the engine in the Winter, including a smoother running engine, a saving in gas and oil,'as Well as continuous protection of the cooling system from freezing by maintaining a satisfactory' mixture and preventing a loss of the mixture.

Having thus described my invention, it is .obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same Without departing fromy the. spirit' of my invention; hence I do not Wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shoWn'and described or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure .by Letters Patent is:

which drains back into the core -and 1s thereby taken up again in the system from the cooling fluidY and condense and returnthe same, to the s stem, and adjustable means whereby the uid may be directed through the condenser.

3. In a deviceof the kind described and in combination, a radiator provided With a condenser arranged4 in proximity to the radiator and operatively connected therewith whereby vapors -discharged from the radiator are condensed and returned to the radiator, and means for causing the iuid to flow through the condenser.

a. A radiator comprising two tanks communicating with each other and constructed for the cooling of fluid flowing :from one tank` to the-other, one tank having an inletv and theother an outlet forthe admission and discharge of the cooling iiuid, a third tank mounted above'one of the first-mentioned tanks and communicating therewith and provided with a. core connecting the same therewith, said core provided with means for dissipating heat units from the contents thereof, said third tank having an inlet, and means for controlling the flow of the fluid through said last-ment`ioned inlet.

5. In a cooling system, a radiator provided with a plurality of superimposed tanks, air-cooled connecting means between the tanks, means containing iiuid to be cooled a conduit extending from the lower tankand communica-ting with the fluidlcontaining means, a branched conduit extending from vthe liquid-containing means to the two upper tanks, means for controlling the passage of fluid-through said branched conduit inf a predetermined manner, means for causing a flow of air through said cores, and means for normally preventing the. circulation of air through the core connecting' the lower and intermediate tank.

6.In a device of the kind described for internal combustion engines,l an air-cooled radiator 4comprising a radiator having upper and lower tanks, a core arranged between said tanks and provided with an intermediate tank communicating with the upper and lower tanks through said core, conduits connecting the upper and intermediate tank with the engine jacket and a conduit connecting the lower tank with the `engine jacket, means for controlling the iiuid passing through said first-mentioned conduits in a predetermined manner, means for causing a circulation of air through said cores, means preventing a circulation of air through the core connecting the lower tank and intermediate tank as desired, means for preventing excessive pressures in a system,

jacket, and means for controllingthe fluid passing through said first-mentioned conduits in a predetermined manner.

8. In a device of the kind described for internal combustion engines, an air-cooled.

radiator comprising a radiator having upper and lower tanks, a core arranged between said tanks and provided with an intermediate tank communicating with the upper and lower tanks through said core,l conduits connecting the upper and intermediate tank with the` engine jacket and a conduit con7 necting .the lower tank with the engine jacket, means for controlling the fluid passing through said first-mentioned conduits' in a predetermined manner, and means for causing a circulat-ion of air through said cores. v

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

ARTHUR B.V MODINE. 

